France: 3, Including a Mother and Son, Arrested in Brutal Murder of 11-Year-Old Louise

Two suspects, a mother and son, were detained in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, on Monday concerning the murder of 11-year-old Louise. Both French nationals. A third suspect, a 23-year-old man, was taken into custody in Épinay-sur-Orge yesterday evening.

The 23-year-old son is being questioned for the murder of a minor under 15, while his mother (55) is being held for failure to report a crime, announced the Évry prosecutor’s office, as reported by Le Parisien.

Although arrested at the mother’s house, the son is known to be homeless and has a record for petty crimes. No further information is available on the third suspect. Another suspect arrested on Friday, along with his partner, has since been released.

Bizarrely, French police have released surveillance photos of what they believe to be the main suspect in the case, but they have blurred them out. As a result, it remains unclear how the man is expected to be identified with the help of the public.

Originally, Remix News reported that there was an arrest of a couple in their 20s, including a suspect described as a “North African type,” but police have since released them without charge.

According to police, Louise was found early Saturday morning at 2:30 a.m. in Longjumeau (Essonne), in the Templars’ Wood, not far from her school in the neighboring town of Épinay-sur-Orge, having been “struck more than 10 times by an object that could have been a knife,” particularly in the torso and neck.

An autopsy carried out at the Corbeil-Essonnes forensic institute confirmed that Louise had “numerous wounds caused by a sharp object in vital areas.”

The Templars’ Wood remained inaccessible to the public, guarded by police; a bouquet for Louise can be seen behind the barrier.

Despite the arrests, the investigation into Louise’s murder is ongoing, and police advise everyone to remain on alert. An object that may belong to the suspect was found during a search Sunday afternoon; however, the murder weapon has yet to be found.

The normally quiet neighborhood, some 20 kilometers south of Paris, has been rocked by the murder, with students, teachers, and parents at Louise’s school, André-Maurois, in Épinay-sur-Orge all on edge.

Along with bouquets, notes and stuffed animals at the entrance of the school, there is now a large police presence. Some parents interviewed by Le Parisien worry that their children are no longer safe and cannot walk home from school alone. The school has also set up a trauma/counseling room for students.